M33 Helmet Identification

Administrator

Posted 25 December 2015 by MajorBonnacelli
Hello gentlemen. I am a starting Italian WWII collector. I really like studying the country itself during the war, and I feel it all started with the discovery and purchase of this helmet in an antique store. However, I have 2 questions about it I have not been able to solve (and hope you might know the answer

/> ):

1- Is it a Fascist-era or Post-war helmet shell?

2- Is the paint WWII-era or Post-war? I want to say I see grey paint underneath this olive coat, but not sure if paint or simply the primer....

NOTE: The Size is a 59 and the Production Code on the rear of the helmet is P 78.

Thanks

"To gain command of the air is to render an enemy harmless." ~ Giulio Douhet

Administrator

Good day and welcome to the forum. Sorry for the delay in answering, but Christmas was a busy time.

I am not a M33 helmet expert but some pictures of the entire helmet (inside and out), the inside of the rivets/vent, and the chin strap swivels (I assume the chin strap is missing). There should be a stamp on the aluminium chin strap swivel mount (you need to bend the mount away from the shell.

As the shells continued in use well past the end of the war, it is the liner/liner mount that usually is suspect.

Not sure what else I can say at this time.

Pista! Jeff

------------
Posted 01 January 2016 by Gian

As far as I can see, the vents are of the first type, and the very low serial number is consistent with a very early production number. P stands for Pignone, one of the only two factories identified.

Please post more pictures, especially of the front, of the color and of the chinstrap bales.
------------
Posted 01 January 2016 by MajorBonnacelli

Thank you very much guys! I will definitely post a few more pics of the helmet in a moment. However, unfortunately, there are absolutely no chinstrap bales on this helmet. I have no idea why they would be missing, but the helmet came that way.
---------------
Posted 06 January 2016 by Gian

Then post a full image of the helmet interior, so that we can assess the damage...

"To gain command of the air is to render an enemy harmless." ~ Giulio Douhet